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Australia's healthcare system: how it works for foreigners

Treatment
Australia
Australia's healthcare system: how it works for foreigners

Australia is one of those English-speaking countries where medicine is very highly developed. Various systems, insurance, and everything to improve medical care for citizens. A system such as Medicare (that is, medical care) is organized here. This system is financed with the help of the budget and a minimum percentage of the salaries of employees. The poor, those with many children, students, and pensioners do not pay anything. 0.2% is deducted from the military, and 1.5% from all others.

This program aims to ensure normal health care for all Australians. All adult citizens have a name card in this system, thanks to which, together with their family members, they can be treated for free. Such a health insurance system is available not only to Australian citizens but also to refugees and immigrants with permanent visas. Medicare insurance covers half of all medical services. Under this government policy, you can enjoy free delivery. However, pregnant women are not special customers here, so no one provides any additional care. If you want a better approach and more care, it is better to go to a private clinic. So it won't be cheap. The cost will be $7-8 thousand.


Insurance system for foreigners

If you are a foreigner and do not fall under the requirements of state insurance, you can contact a private insurance company. One of the most popular companies for tourists, foreign workers, and students is Medibank. With this insurance policy, you can get treatment in public and private clinics. You will also be compensated for the costs of the dentist and an ambulance call. However, you will be able to treat injuries you sustained before coming to the country. Costs for cosmetic surgery or psychiatric examinations will also not be covered.

To prevent tourists from coming to Australia for treatment, a waiting regime has been established here. You can wait for such medical assistance for six months or more. However, even if you have private insurance, it does not guarantee that you will not have to pay for some medical services. You need to know this to be prepared in advance.

There are also public medical centers in the country where you can consult specialists. Such centers provide free assistance to women, immigrants, the unemployed, and families with small children. Children's vaccinations are very responsible here. If a child does not have vaccinations, he will not be able to attend kindergarten or school.




Treatment in Australia

If your treatment is not urgent, but there are some health problems, then a trip to the doctor will be paid for, even if you have health insurance. Outpatient treatment here is almost free. But in case you need urgent help. Therefore, each visit and consultation will be paid for with additional funds. The cost of the visit is approximately $80-100. You need to make an appointment a few days in advance. If it is urgent and for insurance, then you will have to wait in line for about 7 hours, even if you are with a small child. Only patients with bleeding are accepted out of turn.

There are very long queues for specialists - otolaryngologists, ophthalmologists, endocrinologists, and gynecologists. You can expect a free consultation for a month to a year. In a private clinic, a visit to these doctors can be from $250 to $500. Dentistry here is paid and very expensive. Even if you have acute pain, you can expect no reception for up to 2 days. No dental offices are open on non-working days and weekends.

If you need an operation, the public clinics set a date. However, if you do not come, you will be put in a new queue. In a private clinic, you can choose the day yourself and the doctor you want to see. There are no children's hospitals in Australia. There are children's departments in public polyclinics or children's doctors in private ones.


Medicine

In the country, you can buy almost all medicines without a prescription, except for antibiotics and serious drugs. There are no free medicines here for any strata of the population.


Visa to Australia

It is not so easy to open a visa to Australia. After all, the country requires collecting many documents for the planned trip. One of the reasons for refusing to grant a visa is incorrect processing of documents or a lack of important documents.

Find more information about entering Australia here.


To get the desired visa in the country, you need to collect the following documents:

• a copy of the first page of the foreign passport;

• scanned copies of previous visas and stamps;

• one color photo on a white background (35x45 mm);

• a scanned copy of all pages of the internal passport;

• the applicant's questionnaire with all filled-in data;

• a notarized copy of a marriage, divorce, and birth certificates;

• certificate of your status and your financial situation;

• the original certificate from the bank about the availability of funds in the account;

• photocopies of documents on the availability of movable and immovable property;

• reserved tickets;

• medical insurance for the visa period with an insurance amount of at least $50,000.

Australia is a welcoming country, especially to those who follow all the rules and regulations. After all, coming to a foreign country, you should not create unnecessary conflicts, it is better to understand the system and learn to get along with it.